Urinary catheters are known and generally include a latex, polyurethane, or silicone tube that is inserted into a patient's bladder via the urethra. Catheterisation allows the patient's urine to drain freely from the bladder for collection. Urinary catheters may also be used to inject liquids used for treatment or diagnosis of bladder conditions. A clinician or nurse usually performs the catheterisation procedure, but self-catheterisation is also possible. If long term catheterisation is needed, catheters that facilitate self-catheterisation are most desirable to give patients a greater degree of independence.
Urinary catheters may be permanent (indwelling catheters), or may be intermittent and removed after each catheterisation. A Foley catheter (indwelling urinary catheter) is retained by means of a balloon at the tip of the catheter that is inflated with sterile water. The balloons typically come in two different sizes: 5-10 ml and 30 ml and are commonly made in silicone rubber or natural rubber. An intermittent catheter, or Robinson catheter, is a flexible catheter used for short term drainage of urine. Unlike the Foley catheter, it has no balloon on its tip and therefore cannot stay in place unaided. These can be non-coated or coated, for example they may be coated with a hydrophilic coating, and are generally packaged ready for use. Coudé catheters are designed with a curved tip that makes it easier to pass the catheter through the curvature of the prostatic urethra. Hematuria (or haematuria) catheters are a type of Foley catheter used for Post-TURP hemostasis. This is useful following endoscopic surgical procedures, or in the case of gross hematuria. There are both two-way and three-way hematuria catheters (i.e. double and triple lumen). External, Texas, urisheath, and condom catheters are generally used for incontinent males and carry a lower risk of infection than an indwelling catheter.
For some patients the insertion and removal of a catheter causes discomfort or pain, so a topical anesthetic is sometimes used. As mentioned above, in many cases catheterisation is performed as a sterile medical procedure by trained, qualified personnel, using equipment designed for this purpose. In the case of intermittent self-catheterisation, patients are trained to perform the procedure themselves. Intermittent self-catheterisation is performed by the patient four to six times a day, using a clean technique in most cases. Incorrect technique may cause trauma to the urethra or prostate (male), urinary tract infection, or a paraphimosis in the uncircumcised male. For patients with spinal cord lesions and neurogenic bladder dysfunction, intermittent catheterisation (IC) is a standard method for bladder emptying. The technique is safe and effective and results in improved kidney and upper urinary tract status, lessening of vesicoureteral reflux and amelioration of continence. In addition to the clinical benefits, patient quality of life is enhanced by the increased independence and security offered by self-catheterisation.
In order to maximise the potential for sterile insertion of catheters and thereby minimise the chances of urinary tract infection during self-catheterisation, a number of designs for catheter packaging have been proposed. The designs generally aim to remove the need for direct physical contact with the catheter during insertion. For example, in some instances the catheter is packaged within a bag from which it is fed by a user via indirect contact through the bag. In this example, the bag may contain a lubricant to assist with feeding of the catheter. In other examples, the catheter is removable from a package and is provided with a sleeve through which the catheter may be fed. In this example, a user pinches the sleeve to indirectly engage the catheter and facilitate insertion.
The options that are currently available can be cumbersome and difficult to use if a user is self-inserting the catheter shaft. Furthermore, in many instances users of catheters have reduced or limited hand and/or arm function. In such cases, catheters provided with packaging and sleeves as discussed above can be even more difficult to insert.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practice.